Sergio Ramos ruled out of Monterrey's second Liguilla quarterfinal leg vs. Toluca

Monterrey will be without veteran defender Sergio Ramos for the crucial second leg of their Liguilla quarterfinal clash against Toluca, set to take place Saturday at the Estadio Nemesio Diez. Despite participating in some light training alongside his teammates on Friday, the Spanish center back has not fully recovered and will not be available for the decisive match. This will be the fourth consecutive match the former Real Madrid star has missed since suffering an injury on Matchday 17.

Ramos rejoined the group for part of the team’s final training session, raising hopes of a potential return. However, with an eye on a possible appearance in the Clausura 2025 semifinals and the upcoming FIFA Club World Cup, Monterrey’s medical team - alongside head coach Martín Demichelis - opted to prioritize caution. The decision was made to rest Ramos and avoid any risk, as he is not yet fully fit to compete at 100 percent.

The 38-year-old, who arrived in Liga MX as one of the marquee signings of the season, has made nine appearances for the club, contributing four goals - most of them through his trademark headers.

The two most high-profile signings of the Clausura 2025 - Ramos and James Rodríguez - missed the first legs of their respective quarterfinal matchups in the Liguilla. Ramos was sidelined due to injury, while Rodríguez served a suspension. The Spanish defender will also miss tonight’s decisive second leg, as Monterrey visit top-seeded Toluca holding a narrow 3–2 aggregate lead. Meanwhile, the Colombian playmaker will be available for León’s visit to Cruz Azul on Sunday, with his side trailing 3–2 on aggregate. By the end of the weekend, both marquee players - brought in as major reinforcements this semester - could be out of the tournament.

Rayados carry a narrow 3–2 lead into the return leg after a high-scoring win at home. With one of the title favorites on the ropes, they now face the daunting task of surviving “El Infierno” - the nickname for Toluca’s home ground Estadio Nemesio Díez - to book their spot in the semifinals.